Theme park summer wear - help me not melt

June 7, 2024 9:50 AM

I am shortly going to be spending many days at a very hot and humid theme park with my tween (who is feeling better). How am I going to survive the heat? Is linen or a tech fabric better? Sleeveless or protect more from the sun? Lightweight sneakers for support or Tevas? Looking for suggestions for materials and specific clothing items. I don’t generally do dresses or skirts, especially since I’ll be riding lots of rides.
posted by haptic_avenger to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (19 answers total)

Linen clothing paired with a wide-brimmed airy hat.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 10:04 AM on June 7, 2024 [6 favorites]

Linen in a light color. Cover your arms and legs, but make sure its very loose so you get airflow. My favorite shoes to wear in Florida theme parks are these Keen Uneek sneaker sandal hybrid that are very supportive but also open and quick to dry. I'm also a big fan of having some kind of evaporative cooling neck band that you can keep wet; they really do work and will keep you cool.

Drink lots of water. Take advantage of shade as its available.

For me personally, I do feel like if I avoid a lot of AC I'm more comfortable overall (not going from super cold to super hot to super cold to super hot) but I recognize that I might be an outlier in this.

My favorite Florida Theme Park Wear is something like these linen pants, and something similar to this linen top. I also have a bunch of linen blend knit tees similar to this one that I got from JJill ages ago that continue to be my go-to hot weather shirts.

You might feel weird but honestly a good wide brimmed hat keeping the sun off your face an neck is a game changer.

I will also honestly often wear lightweight maxi dresses in the park, and will just wear a pair of slip shorts underneath (more for chafing than for modesty).

Have a great time!
posted by anastasiav at 10:10 AM on June 7, 2024 [8 favorites]

Wear the most cushiony, shock absorbing sneakers you can get. We did disneyland last month and averaged ~30,000 steps a day in my bouncy Nike running shoes. My feet were tired but I wasn't in agony. Contrast that to the week after when I was at a trade show, but just wearing Vans; My feet were so sore it was radiating up into my shins.
posted by Dr. Twist at 10:25 AM on June 7, 2024 [3 favorites]

bring sanitizer to smear on your face, neck and pulse points, the alcohol in it will help cool you as it evaporates.
posted by brujita at 10:31 AM on June 7, 2024 [1 favorite]

Linen or cotton blend clothing. Carry water. Sunscreen obviously. Seek shady spots. Maybe a small umbrella for use in the sun. Salt tablets just in case.
posted by Czjewel at 10:38 AM on June 7, 2024

I wouldn't recommend any synthetic fabrics. Maybe there's some really expensive, fancy one I haven't tried that actually is nice, but in my experience polyester, nylon, etc are miserable in the heat. Linen is great. Cotton is fine. I know some people prefer to be covered with loose, thin clothing, but personally I find anything touching me while it's hot pretty miserable so I opt for tighter crop tops and tiny shorts.

I wouldn't recommend sneakers. They're usually made of synthetic materials, so they make your feet pretty hot. I know I'm way hotter in the same outfit wearing sneakers vs. sandals. I would wear my Finn Comfort sandals. I've never tried anything like the Keen ones anastasiav posted, but I think they'd be a good option if you need a sneaker level of support. Then again, I prefer foot pain to my feet being too hot. You may be different.

I agree with the wide brim hat recommendations, I'd also make sure you have a spare pair of sunglasses. Don't just drink lots of water; drink something that will replenish your electrolytes. I like OJ or coconut water with a pinch of salt, or Gatorlyte. I find Gatorade has too much sugar and not enough sodium. If there's a breeze, I like to spritz myself with a travel size spray bottle of water. If there isn't, don't bother. Drink lots of cold drinks, suck on ice cubes, eat popsicles.
posted by wheatlets at 10:45 AM on June 7, 2024

Forgot to add, hemp is also a good fabric. I have a pair of hemp pants from Muji that are pretty cool.
posted by wheatlets at 10:50 AM on June 7, 2024

Mini umbrella is your parasol friend here, because you can actually cast shade at an angle instead of trying to wear a 7' hat. They fold up small enough to fit in a very modest purse or backpack or even a big pants pocket (though a bit awkward sitting on rides), or hung on a lanyard around your neck. If you're going to use a parasol, you can get away with a visor or some other topless (heh) sun hat so the heat can escape.

Evaporative cooling wearables don't work very well in humid, but wearable fans do. My husband prefers the one that goes all the way around your neck, but for me it's my face that gets miserably hot so I prefer the kind you hang on a lanyard.

Pack some empty quart freezer baggies and periodically get a soda with ice and dump the ice in the baggie and wrap with a bandanna to put down your shirt, or kerchief it to the back of your neck. Also pack a couple of cheap washcloths (or baby wipes, if you want to toss them) that you can wet with ice water to wipe down your face and arms before reapplying sunscreen.

I carry these collapsible water bottles in our travel gear, they do the job and they fold up small and I'm not out a ton of money if one gets left on a plane or in a hotel. And then I also carry Propel electrolyte powder (pro tip: Propel's the only one that's actually undyed so if you spill it you haven't made an enormous mess; the orange-raspberry and raspberry-lemonade are my favorites - and they're quite sweet so you can reasonably split one packet between two of those bottles) to put in my water when we're out in the heat.

The other thing in my travel kit you might want is a medium-colored sarong/pareo - a color that won't soak up heat and get extra hot in the sun, but will cut most of the sunlight coming through it, for creating extra shade if you get stuck somewhere in full-body sun. Like, I cannot bear the rays of the daystar for more than a couple of minutes, and the sarong rolls/folds up to nothing so being able to whip that out to shade my legs/feet, or two people can shade their backs, or you can paperclip it to your parasol to make basically a tent to hide inside. I've even clipped it to restaurant umbrellas or blinds.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:50 AM on June 7, 2024 [3 favorites]

A couple of things I will note from recent travels that involved a lot of walking in hot weather.

light cotton or modal bikeshorts to wear as underwear were fantastic for comfort and eliminating chafing.
My Allbirds sneakers were fantastically comfortable for my wide feet with high arches. My Chaco sandals were also extremely comfortable.
Yes, to a wide brimmed hat.
I prefer to cover my arm rather than expose them to too much sun. Same for legs, longer light weight pants are nicer than shorts.
I always carry around a little baby powder (cornstarch only) to help keep me dry and comfortable in areas where you tend to get a little sweaty.
I also ended up buying a super compact umbrella and loved, loved, loved having it to create instant shade.
posted by brookeb at 10:50 AM on June 7, 2024 [1 favorite]

This is what I do. Maybe it would work for you.

In my trips to Orlando over the last 20 years, I've moved to wearing synthetic quick dry fabrics. This helps with the rain as well as with my sweat (I sweat a lot). I had been wearing cotton and feel it holds onto the moisture too much for me. Agree with bright colors, to reflect sunlight.

I wear short-sleeve shirts with plenty of sunblock that I reapply often (see comment on sweating). I wear prescription sunglasses with a tight glasses strap and a light-colored breathable baseball cap that I hang from my belt using a carabiner clip when I'm not wearing it.

I wear quick dry cargo shorts (pockets!) and boxer-briefs with a long inseam (9" if possible) to prevent my big thighs from chafing. I supplement with a body-glide applied via an anti-chafing stick.

I wear crew length socks, made of wool. These seem to help my feet breath and provide some cushioning. I wear light running shoes or walking shoes with the insole replaced with a better model for long walks. The shoes are broken in before the trip.

I have a waist pack for my regular glasses (in a glasses case) and snack foods, plus a blister response kit. Also carry sunblock, hand sanitizer, and phone charging pieces (small battery, USB block, cable).

I've done backpacks when traveling with children. I primarily used them for water bottles and extra clothing.

Finally, I build in breaks, meals, and times to rest. I was always tempted to go all out; after all, these are expensive trips and I want to do everything to get my money's worth or in case I don't come back. However, I've learned that pacing is valuable for myself and my kids. If we're not enjoying ourselves, why are we even doing this?
posted by bacalao_y_betun at 11:02 AM on June 7, 2024 [5 favorites]

I wear sneakers because I hate getting sunburned on my feet.
posted by shock muppet at 11:16 AM on June 7, 2024 [1 favorite]

Will you have any opportunity to acclimate to the heat before you go? If it's warm where you are, spend a few hours outside, daily if possible, to help your body adapt.

I work outside often, and I like long sleeves for sun protection. Columbia has a good variety of synthetic field shirts. The PFG ones are heavier but have a crisper fabric feel, many of the others are a silkier fabric that's lighter but feel more polyester-y, they're both fine and it's personal preference. I also have a knit sun shirt with a hood, knit feels warmer but it's stretchy and the hood is good sun protection, especially over a baseball cap (and I do recommend some kind of hat). This style is favored by my very fair coworker. Natural fibers light enough that you're willing to wear wear long sleeves are probably going to be gauzy enough that you compromise on sun protection, but I do wear a plain ol' cotton button up sometimes.

I would probably go for quick dry shorts or pants. For some reason, a lot of hiking pants are cut for people with no leg muscles, so definitely plan to try these on if you're buying something new.

They're twice as much as I used to pay for sunglasses, but goodr makes really comfortable lightweight ones in fun colors, and I'm not going back.
posted by momus_window at 12:54 PM on June 7, 2024

This neck wrap is amazing, and lasts a long time. Best way I've found to do it is soak in cold water as directed, and then store in fridge until you wear it.

Stay hydrated with electrolyte tablets. I like the Nuun ones for flavor and less sugar than your Gatorades and whatnot. Though I will say that freezing a couple Gatorades beforehand and having them in slushie form throughout the day is also a great idea – a favorite tip from my Burning Man days.

As folks said above – a good hat will be important. Even if it's cloudy, you can get sunburned real quick without realizing it. Especially if you're sweating off the sunscreen.
posted by Molasses808 at 2:00 PM on June 7, 2024

If you will be riding a lot of rides, I suggest getting a "packable" type hat that can be crammed into a belt bag. They don't usually make you remove and stow a belt bag for rides, so you can wear your hat in line and then stuff it before boarding. Otherwise, you're stuck stowing your things in a locker before getting in line. Other essentials for me: lightweight cargo shorts with zipper pocket closures, a one of those quick dry sweat towels, and a travel pack of face wipes.
posted by ailouros08 at 2:09 PM on June 7, 2024 [3 favorites]

Since you're going to be riding rides, think about how your hat won't fly away. Like wear a cheap one you're ok leaving in the free cubbies at the home base where the ride starts/ends (where it could in theory get stolen).
posted by slidell at 4:00 PM on June 7, 2024

I would carry a mini umbrella if you are in Central Florida because afternoon thunderstorms are an almost daily thing
posted by TimHare at 9:06 PM on June 7, 2024

Otherwise, you're stuck stowing your things in a locker before getting in line.

This depends on the park. Most of the rides at the Mouse don't have pre-ride storage, so you have to hold on to your stuff on the ride. Workers will tell you to remove your hat on some rides, so if you don't want to just hold it you'll need to be able to store it.
posted by jeoc at 7:05 AM on June 8, 2024

Seconding synthetic (or wool!), sweat-wicking clothing over cotton.

Once cotton gets wet it will not dry in humid weather. Ever. If it gets soaked, it likely won't fully dry in your hotel room overnight. So you walk around all day with swamp-ass. I used to work full time outdoors in the summer, and I found synthetic, closer-fitting, quick drying t-shirts under a looser, light cotton t shirt was the best. Quick-dry underwear and quick-dry shorts. Believe it or not? Lightweight (thin) wool socks, probably called Merino by most sellers. Far, far better than cotton which again: will get wet and stay wet.

I found synthetic "technical" shorts with zippers and extra pockets to be great at keeping things safe (would work great on rides, too).

Another godsend for me were these headbands called "Temple Tape" which are kind of like yoga-style, thin, wicking, stretchy fabric. Bought them on Amazon but I'm not going to link. My scalp sweats a lot, and this absorbed the sweat at the base of the back of my skull and prevented it from dripping down my back.

Another option is merino wool t-shirts, close fitting under a lighter looser cotton shirt. These go for about $80 a pop online (I like Unbound Merino because they have V neck options). I see that us synthetic/wool people are way outnumbered in this thread. AllI will say is I am a very sweaty guy who worked manual labor in intense heat and humidity for a few years.

Also, a wide brimmed hat that has a brim all the way around (not a baseball hat!) so your ears are shaded. The headband under the hat kept me sane, kept most of the sweat from dripping down my face. And carry cotton bandanas to wipe/dry sweat from your face. You can also wet these in cool water to cool yourself off.

I also lived in Miami Beach for five years back in the '90s. So I know Florida heat.

I am very particular about all this so MeMail me if you have questions.
posted by SoberHighland at 7:15 AM on June 8, 2024 [1 favorite]

I like Coolibar activewear shirts, very lightweight, SPF protection, quick drying.
Agree you want a hat -- maybe foldable for easy on-off. Also consider sunglasses, and no-blister socks.
posted by mmf at 8:59 AM on June 8, 2024